Adapting a clinical comorbidity index for use with ICD-9-CM administrative databases

Richard A. Deyo, Daniel C. Cherkin, Marcia A. Ciol

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8921 Scopus citations

Abstract

Administrative databases are increasingly used for studying outcomes of medical care. Valid inferences from such data require the ability to account for disease severity and comorbid conditions. We adapted a clinical comorbidity index, designed for use with medical records, for research relying on International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9-CM) diagnosis and procedure codes. The association of this adapted index with health outcomes and resource use was then examined with a sample of Medicare beneficiaries who underwent lumbar spine surgery in 1985 (n = 27,111). The index was associated in the expected direction with postoperative complications, mortality, blood transfusion, discharge to nursing home, length of hospital stay,and hospital charges. These associations were observed whether the index incorporated data from multiple hospitalizations over a year's time, or just from the index surgical admission. They also persisted after controlling for patient age. We conclude that the adapted comorbidity index will be useful in studies of disease outcome and resource use employing administrative databases.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)613-619
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of Clinical Epidemiology
Volume45
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 1992
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • ComorbidityAdministrative dataLumbar spine

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Epidemiology

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